About Dean Kugler

Dean Kugler is a seasoned interdisciplinary artist, painter, and figurative sculptor. His 3D work is featured primarily at Gallery Victor Armendariz in Chicago.  In the last three years, Dean has also been featured at Abend Gallery in Denver, The Figge Art Museum, and Bereskin Gallery in Iowa. He has shown at SOFA Chicago in 2017, 2018, and 2019 and participated in ArtPrize in 2013, 2014, and 2015.  

He sees himself primarily as a sculptor due to the challenges he finds and thrives on within the process. In all its beauty, crudeness, and subtleties, the figure offers infinite opportunities to express feelings and emotions. There is also a physicality to sculpture that requires the work to be experienced through movement in order to reveal more about the piece. 

Dean has always been drawn to the interactive nature of large-scale sculpture that is available to the public - he loves the idea that his work entices the observer to go beyond what they can see and add tactility to the experience. By using both realism and abstraction, he creates a visual that challenges the viewer to resolve what they are seeing. Therefore, providing a greater connection between the artist and the viewer.

Education

1993 – AA from Blackhawk College.

1995 – BFA from Western Illinois University.

Texts

1995 – “Drawing:  Skills, Means, Freedom”.  Jan Clough / Ann Mullin.  pub. 1995.

1993 – “Images” College publication featuring multiple pieces.

1992 – “Images” College publication featuring multiple pieces.

Bibliography

Dec 2022 - American Art Collector. “Room to grow”. Pages 48 and 49. 

1 Oct 2018 – River Cities Reader.  Article discussing a group show titled “Earth, Wind, and Fire” at Bereskin Gallery.

18 Aug 2018 – River Cities Reader.  Article by Mike Schulz about my show titled “Relic” at the Quad City Arts.  

1 Nov 2017 – Dispatch-Argus and QCOnline.com.  Coverage of my showing at SOFA.  

16 Dec 2016 – River Cities Reader.  Article by Rick Martin about one-man art show titled “It Figures” at Black Hawk College.

22 June 2016 – Dispatch-Argus and QCOnline.com.  Coverage of my one-man show titled “Animal Farm.”  

22 Sept 2015 – Quad-City Times.  “Body of work”.  Article by David Burke about a one-man art show at Black Hawk College.

30 October 2014 – WVIK radio and online.  Coverage of the ribbon-cutting for “Gravity” installation at the Rivercenter in Davenport, IA.

28 Sept 2014 – TV interview on WZZM13 in Grand Rapids covering ARTPRIZE and my sculpture, Gravity at the Gerald Ford Museum.

24 Sept 2014 – Fox17online.com.  Interview about my experience at ARTPRIZE 2014.

Sept 2014 – Grand Rapids Press.  Interview about “Gravity”.

15 July 2014 – Dispatch-Argus and QCOnline.com.  Covering “Gravity” being sculpted in the courtyard of the Figge Museum.

10 July 2014 – Quad-City Times Arts and Theatre section.  Two-man exhibition article.

9 July 2014 – Dispatch-Argus Life section.  Two-man exhibition article.

29 June 2014 – Dispatch-Argus QC Living section.  Article about “Gravity” and Artprize.

15 March 2014 – Quad-City Times Weekend section.  Article about Photographer, Kim Aust, and me.

May 2013 – Quad-City Times.  Feature image for article on “One State Together in the Arts” convention at the I-Wireless center.  

2013 – River Cities Reader for the 3-d award at the Rock Island Fine Art Show.

2012 – River Cities Reader for the 2-d award at the Rock Island Fine Art Show.

Exhibitions / Commissions / Public Acquisitions

Sep 2020 – “64 Arts National Juried Exhibition.”  Sculpture award.  Buchanan Center for the Arts.  Monmouth, IL.  

Sep 2020 – “Real People 2020.”  Juried show.  Woodstock, IL.

Jan 2020 – “Rock Island Art Guild Fine Arts Exhibition.”  Figge Museum.  Davenport, IA.  

Nov 2019 – “SOFA.”  Gallery Victor Armendariz.  Navy Pier.  Chicago, IL. 

Oct 2019 – “64 Arts National Juried Exhibition.”  Sculpture award.  Buchanan Center for the Arts.  Monmouth, IL.  

Oct 2019 – “Small show.”  Abend Gallery.  Denver, IL.  

Oct 2019 – “Les Petites.”  Bereskin Gallery.  Chicago, IL.

Jun 2019 – “State of undress.” Gallery Victor Armendariz.  Chicago, IL.

Nov 2018 – “SOFA.”  Gallery Victor Armendariz.  Navy Pier.  Chicago, IL.

Sep 2018 – “Earth, wind, and fire.”  Multiple-person show.  Bereskin Gallery, IL.

Sep 2018 – “64 Arts National Juried Exhibition.”  Buchanan Center for the Arts.  Monmouth, IL.

Jun 2018 – “Relic.”  Two-person show.  Quad City Arts.  Rock Island, IL.

Mar 2018 – “Bloodsport.”  Multiple-person show.  Gallery Victor Armendariz.  Chicago, IL

May 2017 – “The Powerful Hermanas.” Commission for buyer building sculpture museum in Mexico City, Mexico.

Nov 2017 – “SOFA.”  Featured artist with “The Desecration of Adam” sculpture.  Navy Pier.  Chicago, IL.  

Sep 2016 – “64 Arts National Juried Exhibition.”  $1000 Sculpture grand prize (Desecration of Adam).  $800 Painting first place. (No Quarter:  Carl).  Buchanan Center for the Arts.  Monmouth, IL.  

Aug 2016 – “Real People 2016.”  Juried show.  Third place (Bound).  Woodstock, IL.

Jul 2016 – “Gravity.”  Public purchase.  The Adler River Center.  Davenport, IA.

Jun 2016 – “Animal Farm.” One-man show.  Bereskin Art Gallery.  Davenport, IA.

Oct 2015 – “Let’s Dance”.  Group show.  Moline International Airport.  Moline, IL.  

Oct 2015 – “Experiencing art”.  One-man show.  Bereskin Art Gallery.  Davenport, IA.

Sept 2015 – Artprize.  “Desecration of Adam”.  Gerald Ford Museum.  Grand Rapids, IL.  Top 25 out of over 1500 international artists.

Aug 2015 – “It figures”.  One-man show.  Black Hawk College.  Moline, IL.  

July 2015 – “Art to Heart”.  Bucktown Center for the Arts.  Genesis Heart Center.  Davenport, IA.  

Sept-Oct 2014 – Artprize.  “Gravity”.  Gerald Ford Museum.  Grand Rapids, MI.  Top 25 out of over 1500 international artists.

11 July 2014 – Two-man show.  Quad City Arts.  Rock Island, IL.  

21 February 2014 – Spine-taneous.  Redstone building.  Davenport, IA.  “Contortion in Red, Yellow and Blue”. 

Sept-Oct 2013 – Artprize.  Grand Rapids Museum of Art.  Grand Rapids, MI.  “Blind Grace” large version.

May 2013 – One State Arts Convention.  I Wireless Coliseum.  “Blind Grace” large version.

Feb 2013 – Rock Island Fine Art Show.  “Blind Control”.  $500 3-D Award.  

Feb 2012 – Rock Island Fine Art Show.  “Marking time”.  $500 2-D Award.  http://www.augustana.edu/x2788.xml

2012 – Art on the River (juried).  Dubuque, IA .  “Powerless”.   $1500 stipend.  http://www.cityofdubuque.org/index.aspx?NID=1652

Events

October 2022 - “Atlas Society Annual Gala”. Featured artist work presented to Michael Saylor (Atlas Shrugged). Laguna Beach. CA.

October 2021 - “Atlas Society Annual Gala”. Featured artist work presented to Peter Thiel (Atlas Shrugged). Laguna Beach, CA.

October 2016 – “An evening with artists”.  Davenport Creative Arts Academy fundraiser.  Figge Art Museum.  Davenport, IA.

February 2016 – “8 to Create Invitational”.  University of Illinois.  Champagne, Il.  

October 2015 – “An evening with artists”.  Davenport Creative Arts Academy fundraiser.  Figge Art Museum.  Davenport, IA.

September 2015 – “Artslam”.  Dubuque, IA.  People’s Choice winner.

October 2014 – “An evening with artists”.  Davenport Creative Arts Academy fundraiser.  Figge Art Museum.  Davenport, IA.

Grants / Awards

May 2015 - $7500 Project grant.  “The Desecration of Adam”.  River Boat Development Authority.  

April 2015 - $1500 Artist grant.  “The Desecration of Adam”.  Quad City Arts.

March 2015 - $5000 Individual project grant for 4th quarter.  “The Desecration of Adam”.  Iowa Arts Council and NEA.

2014 - $2000 Artist’s project award.  “Gravity”.  Downtown Davenport Partnership

Teaching

March 2016 – Visiting artist.  NMSU 3d design.  Maryville, MO.

Oct 2015 – Demonstration and discussion.  Creative Arts Academy.  Davenport, IA.

May 2015 – All-day discussion concerning “Desecration of Adam”.  Bettendorf High School.  Bettendorf, IA.

2013 – Taught life drawing.  Mrs. B’s School of Art.

2013 – Taught sculpture.  Mrs. B’s School of Art.  

Collections

I have multiple pieces in private collections around the US and two pieces in Mexico City and Bratislava.  

2014 – Gravity.  21’ tall sculpture.  Grand atrium at the Rivercenter Convention Center in Davenport, IA.

Galleries / Museum

Bereskin Art Gallery and Studio – 2967 State St. Bettendorf, IA 52722.  2013 to current.  

Victor Armendariz Gallery – 300 West Superior St. Chicago, IL 60654.  2017 to current.  

Steidel Contemporary - 500 North Dixie Highway, Suite #305, Lake Worth, Florida 33460 2022 to current.

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